The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-10-26
EVOLUTION OF THE COLLAR.

Half century since dandics were got
ten up to kill at o hundred yards witt
their necks swathcd in, first, stiff ant
high standing collar that reached it
points quito to the ears, and over that {
glossy satin or bombazine band stiff neC
with haircloth and fastened around tht
Wearer's neck by strings tied behind
This latter item of gorgeousncss was
sometimes replaced by "neckcloth.
usually in gentlemen of apoplectic ten
dency, which was nothing more than q
generous silk handkerchief carefully
folded, wrapped around the collar and
terminating in graceful knot.
The collars worn there were all the
productions of the domestic shirtmul:cr,
and were usually part and parcel oS the
SHIRT. Cuffs were unknown, except as
applied to outer garments, and that in.
dispensablo appcndago to the shrtslyeyc
which we know by the name had reached
no greater stage of development than is
conveyed by their primitive name of
"Wristbands. They were also attachC Il
to tho shirt. The American trade in
separablc collars co lars and cuffs d, ties
from the year 1884, when n worldly
Methodist parson of Troy, n. Y, Eh6-
nezer Brown by name, shocked his coed
nelghbors by manufacturing dozen or
30 and peddling them about from a hand
basket. The scheme must have been n
partial success. 1t at least started n
small trade, which slumbercd along in
different hands for good ten years,
when the time had como for some one to
arouse it and send the present industry
bounding through time.
Each OF the many very cstimablc firms
engaged i'll this branch of trade has
60, L.,
he was the grandfather of one of tIrjr
members, thus clearly showing them.
selves to be the original Troy collar
house. Collar manufacturing has made
millionaires, and is turning them ont !y
half dozens every ten years. 1t is sad
to DO business which knows no duh
season and is provcrbial for its Il,anl.
ness and precision.
OF course the first rcady-made collars
were but crude and clumsy limitations of
Che homc-factoricd article it was n
long While before considerations of stylc
cropt in to perplox both maker nud
wearer. For many years there were but
few standard "shapos" or "stylc2, ~
and those common to all manufacturers
and branded alike. Every man who
made Shakespeare, II "Bishop" or
"Sennto" called it by the common name
and competed only in regard t. The
quantity he could sell. Now every
maker has u dozen dilRcnt styles to
name generally with classical tcrns)
and copyright to himself twice a year;
although down at the bottom his shapes
,aker as in the old days.
The linen or muslin used in the maI.u-
.cture of collars aud cuffs varies from
ordinary to very fine. Among the lead
nB manufacturers celebrated for the TX
cellcncc OF their goods, only the finest
Irish linen is used In many cases i. is
made especially to their order and for
their use. Manufacturers who sell nj
extremely low figures cannot afford to
use the upper grade linens, and there
fore purchase and nse the cheaper urt-
Gle. The linen is delivered to the man
ufacturers in pieces of about sixty yards
each. The exact grade is carefully asccr-
tanned in the collar factories by counting
the number Of threads to an inch in the
fabric, which il done with II specially
constructed combination OF magnify ing
glass and scaled measure. The threads
vary from "iiiteen hundred" to twenty
three hundred" according to tincncss,
but the usual counts are from twenty"
to "twenty-two hundred" for collar and
cuff manufacture.
Muslin used in the process for inner
layers and backing is counted in much
the same way, but from seventy eight to
eighty-t is considered uniformly good
for the purpose. The goods are cut to
measure by hand from a series Of maple
wood patterns, with a sharp steel blade.
Due allowance is given in this work for
the stitching and shrnkage which Is to
finally reduce the collar to it's standard
market size.
The linen "facings' are then "inter.
lined" with the requisite phys OF muslin,
two interlinings thus making fourply
collar Of the finished article, though for
cuffs four interlinings are generally the
rule. In standing collars both back and
front facings are of linen, in turndowns
only the outer, the concealed face being
of fine quality muslin. When the sever
oil pieces of the collars are thus laid
together in dozens they are taken to
another department, where the inner
side of the band is branded with name,
trademark and side with indelible ink,
and then each get Of pieces is firmly pasted
together, inside out, with strong starch
paste. They are then sewed tightly to-
gether along the outer edges and sent
outside TO be turned by another class OF
operatives altogether. These cellar
turner's are deft-fngered carners Of pin
money, and do all this work at home,
sending for and returning the material
to the factory Turndown collars re.
quire two turnings of the sewed material
-one for the cape and one for the band
which parts arc stitched together ulti-
matoly. Standup collars necessarily
nee. only one turning. Button holes
are nnched in the proper places as a
Nero slit in the goods, and quickly
bound on special sewing machine. \
second punch is then employed, which
raises the stitching in the form OF mar.
row rim with neat round eyelet hole at
the top.
The finest buttonholes are handwork
throughout, but it is by no means a
necessity to their serviceabillty.. Ihe
finishcd collars are then laundried ac-
orS,.din,, t, tIa ETrov" method i'm bjQ